NY Times: Regent Targeting Millennials

[Emdee]

 

I can't imagine any retired person telling you "we had no business traveling" however it apparently happened to you. As you know, they are nice people and not so nice people at any age. What they said is definitely not the opinion of the majority of retired travelers. Keep in mind that people that are retired range in age from young to quite old (I retired at age 55).

 

In terms of kids, I wish that what you said was true (about them cruising on Disney, which, is a wonderful cruise line). Not sure if you read about the huge amount of children on the Explorer during Christmas 2016. I am so thankful that we were not on that cruise. Being a parent, I know that there is no such thing as a perfect child. They need to have space to expend their energy, run around and have fun. Luxury cruise lines are not the place to do that. And, as has been said by many posters, the majority of cruisers that take their children on a luxury cruise are looking out for their best interest - not their children's!

 

Believe me it happened in HK airport. We were early 50s. We were waiting for our flights to be called and were asked how we liked the cruise. When we said we didn't care for Oceania that was their response.

This was the norm of the then Oceania passengers ....never tempted to go back. Since then have been cruising Regent, Crystal and a couple of Azamara cruises thrown in. Have found the passengers on those lines both educated and civilized. Had fun times on excursions with them.

[Travelcat2]

 

Believe me it happened in HK airport. We were early 50s. We were waiting for our flights to be called and were asked how we liked the cruise. When we said we didn't care for Oceania that was their response.

This was the norm of the then Oceania passengers ....never tempted to go back. Since then have been cruising Regent, Crystal and a couple of Azamara cruises thrown in. Have found the passengers on those lines both educated and civilized. Had fun times on excursions with them.

 

I would have been taken aback by that comment. I'm not an Oceania fan (the passengers being a big issue). However, I best not get into that as it is not only off topic but I will get hung, drawn and quartered:evilsmile:

[DrHemlock]

I reject this litmus test that we should take into the consideration the interests of other cruisers. I have seen more abhorrent behavior from adults on cruises than children. There is no self-policing of these adults. They don't apply a litmus test to themselves. Why should we?

 

I've seen abhorrent behavior from sports fans yelling obscenities at opposing players and at the refs, thereby spoiling the enjoyment of families nearby in the stands. There is no self-policing by these adults; they apply no "litmus test" to themselves. Therefore, according to the above, why should I?

 

Using the behavior of a few others as justification to do whatever one pleases without regard to anyone else's feelings is just one facet of the general level of incivility sweeping this country.

[Travelcat2]

I've seen abhorrent behavior from sports fans yelling obscenities at opposing players and at the refs, thereby spoiling the enjoyment of families nearby in the stands. There is no self-policing by these adults; they apply no "litmus test" to themselves. Therefore, according to the above, why should I?

 

Using the behavior of a few others as justification to do whatever one pleases without regard to anyone else's feelings is just one facet of the general level of incivility sweeping this country.

 

You addressed a sore spot for me. The "abhorrent behavior" of sports fans has turned me against sports and I am happy that most "games" (and that is all they are...... games), are not shown on Regent.

 

It remains unbelievable to me how many people feel justified to "do whatever one pleases without regard to anyone else's feelings...................". It is this type of person that I wish did not sail on Regent.

[parallax]

There is an animus towards children on certain cruise lines. These critics create the picture that if children are on board it will devolve into Lord of the Flies. Accordingly, there is this moral obligation of the parents to look at Disney, RCCL or NCL, which is "much more friendlier" to children because there are more distractions. Basically, there is a special standard that must be applied to families that is not applied to other cruisers. I'm not going to be swayed by these critics. My child is not interested in most of these distractions.

 

We make our cruise decisions based on itinerary, environment and what is the objective (relaxing, seeing the sights, activities, etc.) of the cruise. If the objective is to relax, we will look at a cruise line that will be suited for all of us. Accordingly, we will likely go on a mass market cruise line such as Celebrity, HAL or MSC (Yacht Club). More port intensive cruises will expand the number of cruise lines we look at because the focus is on the itinerary.

 

While we do take into consideration other passengers, the approach we take in selecting indirectly benefits other passengers. If we are all engaged in the cruise, we should not encroach on the experience of the others.

[Travelcat2]

There is an animus towards children on certain cruise lines. These critics create the picture that if children are on board it will devolve into Lord of the Flies. Accordingly, there is this moral obligation of the parents to look at Disney, RCCL or NCL, which is "much more friendlier" to children because there are more distractions. Basically, there is a special standard that must be applied to families that is not applied to other cruisers. I'm not going to be swayed by these critics. My child is not interested in most of these distractions.

 

We make our cruise decisions based on itinerary, environment and what is the objective (relaxing, seeing the sights, activities, etc.) of the cruise. If the objective is to relax, we will look at a cruise line that will be suited for all of us. Accordingly, we will likely go on a mass market cruise line such as Celebrity, HAL or MSC (Yacht Club). More port intensive cruises will expand the number of cruise lines we look at because the focus is on the itinerary.

 

While we do take into consideration other passengers, the approach we take in selecting indirectly benefits other passengers. If we are all engaged in the cruise, we should not encroach on the experience of the others.

 

Although this thread is about "Millennials", not children, I agree that that there is an animus towards children on certain cruise lines - particularly luxury cruise lines. That feeling is much less during the summer when school is not in session and Regent has programs available for children (which is also when many luxury cruisers avoid cruising).

 

We are not child haters but have been there - done that. There are so few cruise lines that cater to adults and a huge number of cruise lines that cater to children -- IMO, no matter what itinerary parents that travel with children are seeking, there are cruise lines that will meet their needs.

 

In terms of your statement "If we are all engaged in the cruise, we should not encroach on the experience of the others", of course I agree. However, with children, this is difficult to achieve. As I've said before, I believe that children should be able to be children and have fun. On a luxury cruise line they would need to be able to sit down for dinner for approximately 2 hours, play quietly, swim in the pool but not splash around or dive bomb and parents would have to watch them 24/7. I really cannot see a child enjoying that type of environment.

 

Anyway, back to Millennials.

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Although this thread is about "Millennials", not children, I agree that that there is an animus towards children on certain cruise lines - particularly luxury cruise lines. That feeling is much less during the summer when school is not in session and Regent has programs available for children (which is also when many luxury cruisers avoid cruising).

 

We are not child haters but have been there - done that. There are so few cruise lines that cater to adults and a huge number of cruise lines that cater to children -- IMO, no matter what itinerary parents that travel with children are seeking, there are cruise lines that will meet their needs.

 

In terms of your statement "If we are all engaged in the cruise, we should not encroach on the experience of the others", of course I agree. However, with children, this is difficult to achieve. As I've said before, I believe that children should be able to be children and have fun. On a luxury cruise line they would need to be able to sit down for dinner for approximately 2 hours, play quietly, swim in the pool but not splash around or dive bomb and parents would have to watch them 24/7. I really cannot see a child enjoying that type of environment.

 

Anyway, back to Millennials.

 

You beat me to it; I was just about to ask why everyone is now talking about screaming 8-year-olds at the dinner table when millennials range in age from 20-35 (give or take a couple of years, depending on the source referenced).

 

I have to confess that I've only ever done one luxury sailing (not with Regent). While I loved it, I think the whole "Regent Targets Millennials" thing is odd, given that cruises are extremely subjective. I'm a millennial (32), about to head on my 20th and 21st cruises in April and May, and I just don't see the luxury market being able to woo millennials as a whole. Subsets of millennials, sure, but the pricing alone is enough to exclude most of them, including me.

 

There's also the issue of ambiance. I've never been the club/bar/drink-until-you-pass-out type, and I prefer reading a book to sitting on my iPhone (uhem, Hazegreyunderway), so I'm ok with a luxury ship experience, but that's not the case for many in my generation, even if they were able to afford it.

 

And, yes, while I'd rather read a book than be glued to my mobile, I do still enjoy texting and social media, so you all have made an excellent point about the need for reliable onboard Wi-Fi. (I, too, work for a company that requires me to be connected during most of my travels.)

 

Basically, if luxury lines want to draw more millennials, I think they need to make some major changes. However, I suspect the types of changes necessary would alienate many of their current customers -- a bit of a catch-22.

Edited March 17, 2017 by ashley@cruisecritic

[Emdee]

There are some very successful millennials in the dot.com crowd. Met a young man who retired at 28 on a luxury cruise ship. My DD is a millennial who enjoys cruising on Crystal for their cuisine. So it makes sense for Regent to target these well heeled young people who have 40 years of cruising ahead of them before we boomers move to our permanent moorings!

[LynnRuns]

There are some very successful millennials in the dot.com crowd. Met a young man who retired at 28 on a luxury cruise ship. My DD is a millennial who enjoys cruising on Crystal for their cuisine. So it makes sense for Regent to target these well heeled young people who have 40 years of cruising ahead of them before we boomers move to our permanent moorings!

 

While that is certainly true for the longevity of the brand, the current customer group that has been a longtime stronghold market segment appears to find it a bit appalling the many things that a Gen X or millennial cares about or does not care about. So what should Regent do? Cater to their current clients or try to break out into new segments? They could risk alienating both segments by trying to straddle the market. Or they could alienate their current clients who are likely a steady revenue stream (that will ultimately wane of course). Regent (nor the other luxury brands) have figured out this generation. If they don't, they will lose us to other luxury vacation outfitters. It may not matter today, but I suspect down the road it will be a differentiator.

[flossie009]

You beat me to it; I was just about to ask why everyone is now talking about screaming 8-year-olds at the dinner table when millennials range in age from 20-35 (give or take a couple of years, depending on the source referenced).

 

I suppose that there is an assumption that some of the Millennials may have children that they will bring with them on a cruise

There also seems to be the assumption that all these children will be ill-behaved and out of control................................those making this assumption must have brought up their own children/grandchildren really badly ;)

[UUNetBill]

I suppose that there is an assumption that some of the Millennials may have children that they will bring with them on a cruise

There also seems to be the assumption that all these children will be ill-behaved and out of control................................those making this assumption must have brought up their own children/grandchildren really badly ;)

Flossie, talk about making assumptions...

 

I don't think anyone thinks that about all of the children on board, but just as we've said about ill-mannered adults, it only takes a few. And in my case, it's not an assumption, it's past experience. I've had to deal with hideous children on several cruises, and it really does taint the experience.

[flossie009]

No, not assumptions - just pure & simple exaggeration :evilsmile:

[Travelcat2]

Flossie, talk about making assumptions...

 

I don't think anyone thinks that about all of the children on board, but just as we've said about ill-mannered adults, it only takes a few. And in my case, it's not an assumption, it's past experience. I've had to deal with hideous children on several cruises, and it really does taint the experience.

 

How can there be "assumptions" when comments are based on fact (experienced by you, me and many other Regent guests)? Parents who aware of their children's behavior know where they can or cannot take them without having others disturbed. It behooves parents to work with their children in terms of "public behavior". For instance, a lot of restaurant visits should happen prior to expecting any child to be able to sit for 2 hours in relative silence (or speaking with their "inside voice") And, why would you put your child in a situation where this is required for more than one day? I cannot say this enough...... let children be children (and I don't mean unsupervised monsters - just having an area to run around and play games is almost a necessity for children).

 

LynnRuns, targeting Millennials is not the same as targeting children (thankfully). BTW, other at least two of the three other luxury cruise lines (not naming names) are far more against children onboard than Regent is (and are much more vocal about it than we are) so Regent isn't losing any customers over children (nor is it likely that they will in the future).

 

In general, it seems that Millennials will give luxury cruising a try (or not - I would not have been interested in a luxury cruise line when I was in my 20's nor would I have sought a "party" ship). If they have a good experience, they will likely sail on a luxury cruise line again when they seek a sedate, adult experience. Should they want to travel with their children on a luxury cruise, the summer is a good option on luxury lines that encourage children (Regent being one of them). They will learn, however, that the "Regent Experience" is not the same during the summer as it is the rest of the year. They will choose which experience they prefer.

[liptastic]

In all our years cruising we have never experienced problems with children onboard. We have however come across precious and expectant passengers who can be demanding and obnoxious. Thankfully they can be easily ignored but are more demanding of the staff than they deserve. Jean.

[Travelcat2]

In all our years cruising we have never experienced problems with children onboard. We have however come across precious and expectant passengers who can be demanding and obnoxious. Thankfully they can be easily ignored but are more demanding of the staff than they deserve. Jean.

 

You are fortunate. However, children can not only be disruptive but can cause harm to themselves or others. There have been reports of children crawling around under tables (not just their own).... should one of the servers with hot soup trip over one of them, the child, server and/or guests could be seriously burned (and, of course, Regent would be to blame). This issue is not only on cruise ships but in restaurants in general.

 

IMO, children should not be permitted to walk around a restaurant ..... period. As I've mentioned before, my daughter was far from perfect - very sassy and demanding in her own way. However, she would never walk or run around a restaurant - at any age. She might sit there giving dirty looks to people or would lie down in the booth but knew better than disturb others (note: She is a delightful adult - still stubborn but I love her to pieces).

 

It seems that the current generation (forget what their "official" name is) should be called the entitled generation. They expect to do what they want, when they want and if their parent(s) correct them, they try to claim abuse. On cruise ships I've seen them playing in the elevators, lying across steps (so no one could pass), rolling down the isle in the Constellation Theater - all of this with no parents in sight. The one thing parents need to learn is that their little darlings do not always act the same way when you are not around. They will likely do whatever they can get away with.

 

So, for the sanity of guests and to protect your children, make sure that you select whatever cruise line is right for them (not just right for you). This is true whether you are a Millennial, Gen X'er or Baby Boomer and whether it is your child or your grandchild.

 

In terms of adults behaving badly, IMO, there is no comparison as adults can be reprimanded (and escorted back to their suite if necessary) while one does not dare to reprimand a child that isn't theirs.

 

I do find it interesting that Millennials and children ended up on the same thread. We have absolutely no problem with adults of any age - 20 or 100 - as long as they are not disruptive.

[liptastic]

Travel cat2 possibly we have been fortunate in cruise experiences but both of us are more than well aware how Children can be in a dangerous situation onboard to themselves and others. Not withstanding this I would never make the assumption that all children onboard Regent would be an issue for us or any other passengers.

Go with the the flow and take each cruise and situation as it comes. We don't go with an agenda and enjoy every moment as we work hard for a cruise vacation and nothing will spoil it for us.:D Jean.

[parallax]

How do you define disruptive (I'm not talking about kids)? Adults laughing and being a little boisterous can be viewed as disruptive. I sometimes shocked what people consider inappropriate.

[liptastic]

We have not met many obnoxious passengers onboard Regent apart from a hosted table we were invited to many years ago on Mariner. A couple took a dislike to us being in their company and were very condescending. It was rather uncomfortable but laughable and when we were coming home from Istanbul airport we saw same said couple being highly offensive to airport staff at security. Just mirrored the impression we had at dinner with them. This is a very rare episode thankfully. Jean.

[Travelcat2]

Travel cat2 possibly we have been fortunate in cruise experiences but both of us are more than well aware how Children can be in a dangerous situation onboard to themselves and others. Not withstanding this I would never make the assumption that all children onboard Regent would be an issue for us or any other passengers.

Go with the the flow and take each cruise and situation as it comes. We don't go with an agenda and enjoy every moment as we work hard for a cruise vacation and nothing will spoil it for us.:D Jean.

 

 

I don't think that anyone is saying that "all children onboard Regent would be an issue.......". However, if you take a vacation during the summer, "Spring Break" (in the U.S.) or Christmas/New Year's/Hannukah, you are risking thousands of dollars and don't know if one of 50 children (using the number of children on the Explorer last Christmas) will be disruptive. The odds are much lower during the rest of the year.

 

parallax, to me a disruptive adult would likely be a drunk one. While not disruptive for very long, I've seen adult passengers screaming at crew members. This is not something we typically see on Regent (but I have heard of a drunk passenger being confined to their suite for the night). Passengers can get loud (laughing and talking) when a lounge or dining venue is full since they are trying to make themselves heard but that happens everywhere. At least adults do not run through hallways yelling, crawl under tables, dive bomb into the swimming pool, etc.

 

We were on the Explorer for 30 nights in November. Part of the B2B cruises was a transatlantic cruise with many sea days. It was a full ship but was quiet and serene in most areas. The one exception was where the inside games were going on (led by the C.D.) When games were going on, there was a lot of laughter and cheering each other on. So, when it comes to the question of adults being disruptive, I really don't see it.

 

Jean, the couple you had dinner with that was condescending is the reason that we don't share tables with people that we don't know. I've heard of people sharing tables with strangers where a couple only wants to discuss politics. We were at the Captain's table once when a couple asked the Italian Captain about the Costa Concordia (talk about bad taste). And, they didn't want to let the subject go. At that point I wished I could find a reason to disappear and go elsewhere.

[fizzy]

while it certainly didn't bother us, I remember the volume and screaming and raucous behavior on afternoons where the SPORT of trivia was being played. It seemed like everyone was whooping it up and having a good time. Noise clearly isn't exclusive to kids.

[Travelcat2]

while it certainly didn't bother us, I remember the volume and screaming and raucous behavior on afternoons where the SPORT of trivia was being played. It seemed like everyone was whooping it up and having a good time. Noise clearly isn't exclusive to kids.

 

Who was that disturbing? Horizons Lounge isn't near anything. Were you in a suite above the lounge and is that what you found disturbing? BTW, we used to play trivia (which I believe is a game - not a sport) and did not find it raucous - simply too crowded. Now that you mention it, if they kept children in Horizons Lounge (or Stars Lounge on the Mariner), they wouldn't bother anyone. That would actually work:rolleyes:

P.S. Trivia has become so crowded that sometimes they have to hold it in the Constellation Theater (especially on the Explorer). It is yet another venue that is not near anything!

[fizzy]

Who was that disturbing? Horizons Lounge isn't near anything. Were you in a suite above the lounge and is that what you found disturbing? BTW, we used to play trivia (which I believe is a game - not a sport) and did not find it raucous - simply too crowded. Now that you mention it, if they kept children in Horizons Lounge (or Stars Lounge on the Mariner), they wouldn't bother anyone. That would actually work:rolleyes:

P.S. Trivia has become so crowded that sometimes they have to hold it in the Constellation Theater (especially on the Explorer). It is yet another venue that is not near anything!

Actually, I started my post clearly stating that the noise and behavior did NOT bother us. People were having lots of fun.....as well they should....they are on holiday. I can't report if all of those adults put their "inside voices" into play as soon as they were done. I used the word sport as you have often expressed your disdain for sports. OK.. trivia is a game that people enjoy VERY much. Baseball, football, tennis etc. are games that people enjoy very much whether they are adults or kids. For what it's worth, my sister and I would NEVER have been allowed to lay down in a restaurant booth or roll our eyes at the other customers. Never. Ever.

[UUNetBill]

It seems that the current generation (forget what their "official" name is) should be called the entitled generation.

I believe that would be 'Generation Snowflake'.

 

I do find it interesting that Millennials and children ended up on the same thread. We have absolutely no problem with adults of any age - 20 or 100 - as long as they are not disruptive.

I'd expand that to say I have absolutely no problem with anyone of any age as long as they're not disruptive.

[fizzy]

I believe that would be 'Generation Snowflake'.

 

 

I'd expand that to say I have absolutely no problem with anyone of any age as long as they're not disruptive.

You have come up with the perfect statement. Thank you.

[flossie009]

........and now we have authoritative confirmation that Trivia is not a Sport we can all rest easy that participants will not be subjected to random drug or alcohol testing

 

;) :evilsmile: